Connectors Providing Haptic Feedback

ABSTRACT

A first connector may include a housing defining a first connector face to be positioned in a first position or a second position proximate to a second connector face of a second connector. A first extremely high frequency (EHF) communication unit may be disposed in the housing for communicating with a second EHF communication unit of the second connector when the first connector face is positioned in first or second position relative to the second connector face. A first magnet may be disposed in the housing. The first magnet may align with and repel a second magnet disposed relative to the second connector face when the first connector face is positioned in the second position. The first magnet may be configured not to align with and not to repel the second magnet when first connector face is positioned in the first position relative to the second connector face.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.61/570,707, filed Dec. 14, 2011, which application is incorporatedherein by reference in its entirety.

This application is a continuation of co-pending U.S. application Ser.No. 13/713,564, filed Dec. 13, 2012, which is incorporated by referencein its entirety

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure relates to electronic devices and morespecifically to connectors for electronic devices.

BACKGROUND

Advances in semiconductor manufacturing and circuit design technologieshave enabled the development and production of integrated circuits (ICs)with increasingly higher operational frequencies. In turn, electronicproducts and systems incorporating such integrated circuits are able toprovide much greater functionality than previous generations ofproducts. This additional functionality has generally included theprocessing of increasingly larger amounts of data at increasingly higherspeeds.

Many electronic systems include multiple printed circuit boards (PCBs)upon which these high-speed ICs are mounted, and through which varioussignals are routed to and from the ICs. In electronic systems with atleast two PCBs and the need to communicate information between thosePCBs, a variety of connector and backplane architectures have beendeveloped to facilitate information flow between the boards.Unfortunately, such connector and backplane architectures introduce avariety of impedance discontinuities into the signal path, resulting ina degradation of signal quality or integrity. Connecting to boards byconventional means, such as signal-carrying mechanical connectors,generally creates discontinuities, requiring expensive electronics tonegotiate. Conventional mechanical connectors may also wear out overtime, require precise alignment and manufacturing methods, and aresusceptible to mechanical jostling.

BRIEF SUMMARY

In one example, first connector may include a housing that may define afirst connector face configured to be positioned in at least one of afirst position and a second position proximate to a second connectorface of a second connector. The first connector may also include a firstextremely high frequency (EHF) communication unit disposed in thehousing relative to the first connector face for communicating with asecond EHF communication unit of the second connector when the firstconnector face is positioned in at least one of the first position andthe second position relative to the second connector face. The firstconnector may further include a first magnet disposed in the housingrelative to the first connector face. The first magnet may be configuredto align with and repel a second magnet disposed relative to the secondconnector face when the first connector face is positioned in the secondposition relative to the second connector face. Further, the firstmagnet may be configured not to align with and not to repel the secondmagnet when the first connector face is positioned in the first positionrelative to the second connector face.

In another example, a connector system may include a first connector anda second connector. The first connector may include a first housingdefining a first connector face. The first connector may also include afirst EHF communication unit disposed in the first housing relative tothe first connector face. The first connector may also include a firstmagnet disposed in the first housing relative to the first connectorface. The second connector may include a second housing defining asecond connector face configured to be positioned in at least one of afirst position and a second position proximate to the first connectorface. The second connector may further include a second EHFcommunication unit configured to communicate with the first EHFcommunication unit over a first channel when the first connector face ispositioned in at least one of the first position and the second positionrelative to the second connector face. The second connector may alsoinclude a second magnet disposed in the second housing relative to thesecond connector face. The second magnet may be configured not to alignwith and not to repel the second magnet when the first connector face ispositioned in the first position relative to the second connector face.Further, the second magnet may be configured to align with and repel thefirst magnet when the first connector face is positioned in the secondposition relative to the second connector face.

In yet another example, a connector system may include a first connectorand a second connector. The first connector may include a first housing,a first EHF communication unit supported in the first housing, a thirdEHF communication unit supported in the second housing and configured tocommunicate with a fourth EHF communication unit on a second channel.The first connector may also include at least two first connectormagnets supported in the first housing. The second connector may beconfigured to couple with the first connector. The second connector maydefine a second connector face configured to be positioned in at leastone of a first position and a second position proximate to the firstconnector face. The second connector may also include a second EHFcommunication unit supported in the second housing and configured tocommunicate with the first EHF communication unit over the firstchannel. The second connector may also include a fourth EHFcommunication unit supported in the second housing and may be configuredto communicate with the third communication unit on a second channel.The second connector may also include at least two second connectormagnets supported in the second housing. The polarities of the at leasttwo first connector magnets, and the at least two second connectormagnets are oriented such that the first connector couples with thesecond connector in a desired connector orientation and is held in acoupled state by attraction of the first magnet of the at least twofirst connector magnets to the first magnet of the at least two secondconnect magnets and attraction of the second magnet of the firstconnector magnets to the second magnet of the second connector magnets.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

Having thus described the invention in general terms, reference will nowbe made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn toscale, and wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates a general connector system,

FIG. 2 illustrates structural components of a first connector,

FIG. 3 illustrates structural components of a second connector,

FIG. 4 is side view of a first EHF communication unit mounted on aprinted circuit board and showing some internal components,

FIG. 5 is an isometric view of the first EHF communication unit of FIG.4,

FIG. 6 illustrates an isometric view of an illustrative first connectorof FIG. 1 showing a first connector face,

FIG. 7 an isometric view illustrating a back side of the first connectorof FIG. 6,

FIG. 8 is an isometric view of a connector system including the firstconnector of FIG. 6 proximate to a second connector,

FIGS. 9A-9D illustrates simplified exemplary configurations of magneticcomponents of a connector system including a first connector and asecond connector usable in the connector system of FIG. 1 or FIG. 8,

FIG. 10 is a block diagram of an illustrative connector havingelectromagnetic components, and

FIG. 11 illustrates exemplary first and second connectors that may forman example of the connector system of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Illustrative embodiments now will be described more fully hereinafterwith reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not allembodiments of connectors and connector systems are shown. Indeed,connectors and connector systems may be embodied in many different formsand should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forthherein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that one skilled inthe art can make and use the connectors and connector systems disclosed.Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.

Connectors interconnect electronic devices and provide a pathway forsignal and/or power transfer. Data transfer may be at very high rates.Connector systems are preferably easily manufactured, modular, andefficient. Examples of communication systems are disclosed in U.S. Pat.No. 5,621,913 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/655,041. Thedisclosures of these and all other publications referenced herein areincorporated by reference in their entirety for all purposes.

In today's society and ubiquitous computing environment, high-bandwidthmodular and portable memory devices are being used increasingly.Security and stability of communication between and within these devicesis important. In order to provide improved secure high-bandwidthcommunications, EHF communication units may be utilized. An example ofan EHF communications unit is an EHF comm-link chip. Throughout thisdisclosure, the terms comm-link chip, comm-link chip package, and EHFcommunication link chip package will be used to refer to EHF antennasembedded in IC packages. Examples of such comm-link chips are describedin detail in U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2012/0263244; and2012/0307932, both of which are hereby incorporated in their entiretiesfor all purposes. Comm-link chips are an example of a communicationdevice, also referred to as communication unit, whether or not theyprovide wireless communication and whether or not they operate in theEHF frequency band.

FIG. 1 illustrates a connector system 100 where various embodiments ofthe present disclosure may function. As shown, the connector system 100may include a first connector 102 configured to couple to a secondconnector 104. An example of structural components of the firstconnector 102 is illustrated in FIG. 2 and an example of structuralcomponents of the second connector 104 is illustrated in FIG. 3.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the first connector 102 may include a firsthousing 202 defining a first connector face 204 configured to bepositioned in at least one of a first position and a second positionproximate to a second connector face 304 of the second connector 104(See FIG. 3). Hereinafter, the first housing 202 and a housing 202 mayrefer to same component and may be used interchangeably without changingits meaning.

The first connector 102 may also include a first extremely highfrequency (EHF) communication unit 206 disposed in the housing 202relative to the first connector face 204 for communicating with a secondEHF communication unit 306 of the second connector 104 when the firstconnector face 204 is positioned in at least one of the first positionand the second position relative to the second connector face 304.Further, the first EHF communication unit 206 may be electrically andphysically connected to a cable (not shown in these figures) configuredto receive at least one of power and one or more informational signalsfrom an external source. The external source may be a power source orother electrical or electronic device and may not be part of the firstconnector 102.

The first connector 102 may further include a first magnet 208 disposedin the housing 202 relative to the first connector face 204. The firstmagnet 208 may be configured to align with and repel a second magnet 308disposed relative to the second connector face 304 when the firstconnector face 204 is positioned in the second position relative to thesecond connector face 304. Further, the first magnet 208 may beconfigured not to align with and not to repel the second magnet 308 whenthe first connector face 204 is positioned in the first positionrelative to the second connector face 304. In an embodiment, the firstmagnet 208 has a magnet face that may be aligned with the firstconnector face 204.

In some examples, the first connector 102 may further include a firstmagnetic element 210 disposed in the housing 202 relative to the firstconnector face 204 and spaced away from the first magnet 208. The firstmagnetic element 210 may be configured to align with and/or attract thesecond magnet 308 when the first connector face 204 is positioned in thefirst position relative to the second connector face 304. Further, thefirst magnetic element 210 may be at least one of, but not limited to, apermanent magnet, an electromagnet, and a ferromagnetic element. In anembodiment, the first magnetic element 210 may be a third magnet 212.The first magnet 208 and the third magnet 212 may have opposite magneticpolarities at the first connector face 204.

The first connector 102 may further include a third EHF communicationunit 214 that may be configured to communicate with a fourth EHFcommunication unit 310 of the second connector 104 when the firstconnector face 204 is positioned in the at least one of the firstposition and the second position relative to the second connector face304.

The first connector 102 may further include a connector printed circuitboard (PCB) 216 supported in the housing 202. Further, the firstconnector 102 may include a first connector alignment element 218configured to mate with a complementary second connector alignmentelement 312 of the second connector 104. The first connector alignmentelement 218 may matingly receive the second connector alignment element312 when the first connector face 204 is positioned in the firstposition and in the second position relative to the second connectorface 304 for providing physical alignment feedback to a user. Thephysical alignment feedback may be one or a combination of hapticfeedback, tactile feedback or visual feedback.

The first connector 102 may include a signal indication circuit 220having one or more light emitting diode (LED) indicators. The connectioncircuit may be responsive to an electrical signal transmitted betweenthe first and second EHF communication units.

Furthermore, the first connector 102 may include a connector body 222disposed in the housing 202 and configured to encapsulate the connectorPCB 216 and the first EHF communication unit 206. The first magnet 208may be configured to act as an electromagnet. Further, the firstconnector 102 may include an electromagnet controller 224 configured toalternatingly activate and either deactivate or reverse activate theelectromagnet (i.e. the first magnet 208), thereby producing vibrationof the first connector 102.

As shown in FIG. 3, the second connector 104 may include a secondhousing 302 defining the second connector face 304 configured to bepositioned in at least one of a first position and a second positionproximate to the first connector face 204. The second EHF communicationunit 306 may be configured to communicate with the first EHFcommunication unit 206 over a first channel when the first connectorface 204 is positioned in at least one of the first position and thesecond position relative to the second connector face 304.

Further, the second connector 104 may include the second magnet 308disposed in the second housing 302 relative to the second connector face304. The second magnet 308 may be configured not to align with and notto repel the second magnet 308 when the first connector face 204 ispositioned in the first position relative to the second connector face304. Further, the second magnet 308 may be configured to align with andrepel the first magnet 208 when the first connector face 204 ispositioned in the second position relative to the second connector face304. Further, the first magnetic element 210 and the second magneticelement 314 may include respective ferromagnetic elements. The fourthEHF communication unit 310 may be disposed in the second housing 302relative to the second connector face 304.

Further, the second connector 104 may include a second magnetic element314 disposed in the second housing 302 relative to the second connectorface 304. The second magnetic element 314 may be configured to alignwith and be attracted to the first magnet 208 when the first connectorface 204 is positioned in the first position relative to the secondconnector face 304. Further, the second magnetic element may include afourth magnet 316 disposed in the second housing 302 relative to thesecond connector face 304. Further, the fourth magnet 316 may beconfigured to align with and to attract the first magnet 208 when thefirst connector face 204 is positioned in the first position relative tothe second connector face 304. Further, the fourth magnet 316 may beconfigured to align with and repel the third magnet 212 when the firstconnector face 204 is positioned in the second position relative to thesecond connector face 304.

FIG. 4 is side view of an example of the first EHF communication unit ofthe first connector 102 showing some internal components. FIG. 5 is anisometric view of an example of the first EHF communication unit 206 ofthe first connector 102. As discussed with reference to FIG. 2, thefirst EHF communication unit 206 may be mounted on the connector printedcircuit board (PCB) 216 of the first connector 102. FIG. 5 shows asimilar illustrative first EHF communication unit 206. It is noted thatFIGS. 4 and 5 portray a first EHF communication unit 206 using computersimulation graphics, and thus some components may be shown in a stylizedfashion. As illustrated, the first EHF communication unit 206 mayinclude a die 402, a lead frame 404, one or more conductive connectorssuch as bond wires 406, a transducer such as an antenna 408, and anencapsulating material 410.

The die 402 may include any suitable structure configured as aminiaturized circuit on a suitable die substrate, and is functionallyequivalent to a component also referred to as a “chip” or an “integratedcircuit (IC).” The die substrate may be formed using any suitablesemiconductor material, such as, but not limited to, silicon. The die402 may be mounted in electrical communication with the lead frame 404.The lead frame 404 may be any suitable arrangement of electricallyconductive leads configured to allow one or more other circuits tooperatively connect with the die 402. The leads of the lead frame 404may be embedded or fixed in a lead frame substrate. The lead framesubstrate may be formed using any suitable insulating materialconfigured to substantially hold the leads in a predeterminedarrangement.

Further, the electrical communication between the die 402 and leads ofthe lead frame 404 may be accomplished by any suitable method usingconductive connectors such as, one or more bond wires 414. The bondwires 414 may be used to electrically connect points on a circuit of die402 with corresponding leads on the lead frame 404. In anotherembodiment, the die 402 may be inverted and conductive connectorsincluding bumps, or die solder balls rather than bond wires 414, whichmay be configured in what is commonly known as a “flip chip”arrangement.

The antenna 408 may be any suitable structure configured as a transducerto convert between electrical and electromagnetic signals. The antenna408 may be configured to operate in an EHF spectrum, and may beconfigured to transmit and/or receive electromagnetic signals, in otherwords as a transmitter, a receiver, or a transceiver. In an embodiment,the antenna 408 may be constructed as a part of the lead frame 404. Inanother embodiment, the antenna 408 may be separate from, butoperatively connected to the die 402 by any suitable method, and may belocated adjacent to the die 402. For example, the antenna 408 may beconnected to the die 402 using antenna bond wires 416. Alternatively, ina flip chip configuration, the antenna 408 may be connected to die 402without the use of the antenna bond wires 416. In other embodiments, theantenna 408 may be disposed on the die 402 or on the PCB 216.

Further, the encapsulating material 410 may hold the various componentsof the first EHF communication unit 206 in fixed relative positions. Theencapsulating material 410 may be any suitable material configured toprovide electrical insulation and physical protection for the electricaland electronic components of first EHF communication unit 206. Forexample, the encapsulating material 410 may be a mold compound, glass,plastic, or ceramic. The encapsulating material 410 may be formed in anysuitable shape. For example, the encapsulating material 410 may be inthe form of a rectangular block, encapsulating all components of thefirst EHF communication unit 206 except the unconnected leads of thelead frame 404. One or more external connections may be formed withother circuits or components. For example, external connections mayinclude ball pads and/or external solder balls for connection to aprinted circuit board.

In FIG. 4, it may be seen that the die 402 is encapsulated in the firstEHF communication unit 206, with the bond wires 414 connecting the die402 with the antenna 408. In this embodiment, the first EHFcommunication unit 206 may be mounted on the connector PCB 216. Theconnector PCB 216 may include one or more laminated layers 418, one ofwhich may be PCB ground plane 412. The PCB ground plane 412 may be anysuitable structure configured to provide an electrical ground tocircuits and components on the PCB 216.

The second EHF communication unit 306 may be included and configured toallow EHF communication between the first EHF communication unit 206 andthe second EHF communication unit 306. Further, either of the EHFcommunication units 206 or 306 may be configured to transmit and/orreceive electromagnetic signals, providing one-way or two-waycommunication between the first EHF communication unit 206 and thesecond EHF communication unit 306 and accompanying electronic circuitsor components. In an embodiment, the first EHF communication unit 206and the second EHF communication unit 306 may be co-located on thesingle PCB 216 and may provide intra-PCB communication. In anotherembodiment, the first EHF communication unit 206 may be located on afirst PCB (similar to PCB 216) and the second EHF communication unit 306may be located on a second PCB (similar to PCB 216) and may thereforeprovide inter-PCB communication.

Regardless of where the first EHF communication unit 206 and the secondEHF communication unit 306 are mounted, it remains important to provideimproved signal security and integrity when communicating between anytwo EHF communication units (such as EHF communication units 206, 306).One method for enhancing or ensuring proper signal security andintegrity is to verify that the second EHF communication unit 306 iswithin a predetermined range before or during a communication attempt.To that end, systems and methods for detecting the presence of thesecond EHF communication unit 306 and/or for ensuring another device orsurface is within a certain distance may be included. Examples of suchsystems and methods are described in U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/524,956, which is hereby incorporated in its entirety for allpurposes.

FIG. 6 illustrates a front face 500A of an example 500 of the firstconnector 102. FIG. 7 illustrates a back face 500B of connector 500. Thefirst connector 102 may be any suitable connector component configuredto provide a zero-insertion or low-insertion EHF connection interfacefor a corresponding connector component on another device or system. Thefirst connector 102 may include two magnets, 502A and 502B. As discussedwith reference to FIGS. 1-3 and FIGS. 4 and 5, the first connector 102may further include the first EHF communication unit 206, the thirdcommunication unit 214, the connector PCB 216, the connector body 220,the first connector alignment element 218, and/or one or more LEDindicators 222A-N. Furthermore, the first connector 102 may beelectrically and physically connected to a cable 504.

The connector body 222 may serve as a housing or container for othercomponents of the first connector 102. In some embodiments, theconnector body 222 may encapsulate the PCB 216, the first EHFcommunication unit 206, the third EHF communication unit 214, and one ormore LED indicators 220A-N using a suitable dielectric material ormaterials such as plastic. Further, the connector body 222 may also besized and configured to allow convenient manipulation by a user. In anembodiment, the magnets 502A and 502B may be at least partially housedin the connector body 222 and may be mounted such that both magnets502A-502B may flush with the mating surface 506 of the connector body222.

The mating surface 506 may be configured to provide a suitable physicalcoupling surface with a corresponding connector on a correspondingdevice such as the external device 602 shown in FIG. 9. In someembodiments, the mating surface 506 is coplanar with a surface of theexternal device 602. In other embodiments, the mating surface 506 iscurved. In still other embodiments, the mating surface 506 may includethe first connector alignment element 218. The first connector alignmentelement 218 may be a protrusion, ridge, knob, bevel, pin, recess, orother member configured to mate with a corresponding alignment elementon a corresponding second connector face 304 (or connector surface 604of the external device 602), to provide physical alignment feedback tothe user. The second connector face 304 (or connector surface 604 of theexternal device 602) may be a target connection region for the firstconnector 102.

The magnets 502A and 502B (or first connector magnets 502A-502B) may beany suitable magnetic components configured to non-destructivelyreleasably hold the first connector 102 in aligned proximity to thesecond connector face 304 (or the connector surface 604 of the externaldevice 602). Hereinafter, the magnets 502A-502B may be referred as firstconnector magnets 502A-502B without changing its meaning. The secondconnector 104 may be a part of the external device 602.

Further, the second connector 104 may include at least two magnets (orsecond connector magnets), such as shown in FIGS. 9A-9D. In thiscontext, the alignment and proximity may refer to the alignment andproximity of corresponding EHF communication unit (e.g. 206), which mustbe substantially aligned and in close enough proximity to enablecommunication between a given pair of EHF communication units. In someembodiments, the magnets 502A, 502B are one or a combination ofpermanent magnets, electromagnets, or be formed of ferrous materialcapable of being magnetically attracted to magnets.

The first EHF communication unit 206 and the third EHF communicationunit 214 may be mounted on the connector PCB 216. In some embodiments,more or fewer EHF communication units may be provided in the firstconnector 102 or the PCB 216. The first EHF communication unit 206 maybe mounted on the PCB 216 in an orientation that is orthogonal to thatof the third EHF communication unit 214, to take advantage ofpolarization effects. Orthogonal orientation may allow the EHFcommunication units (e.g. 206 or 214) to be mounted closely together,because orthogonal EHF signals may not substantially interfere with eachother. The connector PCB 216 and related circuits may be electricallyconnected to the cable 504 to allow the first connector 102 to obtainpower and/or informational signals from a source outside of the firstconnector 102. For example, the cable 504 may provide the firstconnector 102 with electrical power as well as providing a signal pathto and/or from a personal computer or other associated device.

A shielding material (not shown) may be provided around at least aportion of the connector body 222. The shielding material may includeany electrically conductive material or a layer configured to absorb orotherwise block the EHF radiation. In an embodiment, the magnets 502Aand/or 502B, possibly in combination with the shielding material, mayprovide a circuit ground for one or more circuits in the first connector102.

Furthermore, a first magnet of the first connector magnets 502A and 502Bmay be electrically connected to a power conductor in the cable 504, anda second magnet of the first connector magnets 502A and 502B may beconnected to a circuit ground. This configuration may allow power to beprovided to the external device 602 through the magnets 502A and 502B.The magnets 502A-502B may be shaped accordingly to provide a suitableelectrical interface when aligned and mated with the connector surface604 of the external device 602. In an embodiment, the magnets 502A and502B may have protrusions to provide controlled point connections and toavoid “a-spot” problems inherent in flat connector surfaces.

One or more LED indicators 220A-N may be mounted in or on the firstconnector 102 to provide visual feedback to the user. The LED indicators220A-N may be electrically connected to the connector PCB 216 and mayprovide indication of a connector, connection status, or signaltransmission status. In an embodiment, the LED indicators 220A-N mayblink or light up if the connector 102 is receiving power and to confirma proper or correct connection. In other embodiments, a green LEDindicator 220N may light up if the connector 102 is properly aligned andaffixed to the connector surface 604 of the external device 602.

FIG. 6 is an isometric view of a connector system 600 including thefirst connector 102 or 500 proximate to the second connector 104 or 600.The external device 602 may include the second connector (such asconnector 104) having a second housing 614 defining a second connectorface or connector surface 604 configured to be positioned in at leastone of a first position and a second position proximate to the firstconnector face 616. It will be appreciated that the first and secondconnectors can be placed together in a first position with EHFcommunication unit 206 aligned with EHF communication unit 610 and EHFcommunication unit 214 aligned with EHF communication unit 608, or in asecond position that is the reverse.

As depicted, the external device 602 may include an external device PCB606 with two EHF communication units 608 and 610 disposed near an edge612 of the external device 602. The EHF communication units of theexternal device 602 may be referred as a second EHF communication unit608 and a fourth EHF communication unit 610. In some examples, more orfewer EHF communication units may be provided. The second EHFcommunication unit 608 may be configured to communicate with the firstEHF communication unit 206 over a first channel when the first connectorface 616 is positioned in at least one of the first position and thesecond position relative to the second connector face 604. Hereinafter,the connector surface 604 and second connector face 604 may be usedinterchangeably without changing their meaning.

Further, the connector surface 604 at the edge 612 may include portionsmade of ferrous material or any other material that provides amagnetically attractive surface to which the first connector magnets502A-502B may attach. Further, the first magnet 502A may have a magnetface that is aligned with the first connector face 616. In anembodiment, placing the first connector 102 near the connector surface604 of the external device 602 may cause the magnets 502A and 502B to beattracted to the connector surface 604, pulling the connector 102 intoproper position and alignment to allow the first EHF communication unit206, the third EHF communication unit 214, the second EHF communicationunit 608, and the fourth EHF communication unit 610 to align andcommunicate. In some embodiments, the first connector magnets 502A and502B may be connected to a power-providing circuit, this attraction andholding of the first connector 102 may also facilitate electrical powerconduction.

In some embodiments, the second connector 104 of the external device 602may include a second magnet (similar to magnet 308) disposed in thesecond housing 614 of the external device 602. The second magnet may bedisposed in the second housing 614 relative to the second connector face604. In an embodiment, the second magnet may be configured not to alignwith and not to repel the second magnet when the first connector face616 is positioned in the first position relative to the second connectorface 604. Furthermore, the second magnet is configured to align with andrepel the first magnet when the first connector face 616 is positionedin the second position relative to the second connector face 604.

As discussed with reference to FIGS. 3-5, the first connector 102 mayinclude the first magnetic element (502B) disposed in the first housing202 relative to the first connector face 616 (or 204) and spaced fromthe first magnet 502A (or 208). The first magnetic element (502B) may beconfigured to align with and attract the second magnet (e.g. magnet 308)when the first connector face 616 is positioned in the first positionrelative to the second connector face 604. Further, the first magneticelement 218 may be at least one of a permanent magnet, an electromagnet,and a ferromagnetic element. In an embodiment, the first magneticelement (or magnet 502B) may be a third magnet 212 of the firstconnector 102. Further, the first magnet 502A (or 208) and the thirdmagnet 502B (or 212) may have opposite magnetic polarities at the firstconnector face 616.

In an embodiment, the second connector 104 of the external device 602may include a fourth magnet (not shown in FIG. 6, but it is similar tofourth magnet 308 of FIG. 3) disposed in the second housing 614 relativeto the second connector face 604. The fourth magnet may be configured toalign with and to attract the first magnet 208 when the first connectorface 616 is positioned in the first position relative to the secondconnector face 604. Further, the fourth magnet (such as magnet 308) maybe configured to align with and repel the third magnet when the firstconnector face 616 is positioned in the second position relative to thesecond connector face 604.

The second connector 104 may further include the second magnetic element(such as one of the magnets 502C-502D) disposed in the second housing614 relative to the second connector face 604. Further, the secondmagnetic element (such as one of the second connector magnets shown inFIGS. 9A-9D) may be configured to align with and be attracted to thefirst magnet when the first connector face is positioned in the firstconnector face 616 is positioned in the first position relative to thesecond connector face 604. The first magnetic element and the secondmagnetic element may include respective ferromagnetic elements.

In an embodiment, the first connector 102 may further include the thirdEHF communication unit 214 disposed in the first housing 202 relative tothe first connector face 616 (or 204). In another embodiment, the secondconnector 104 may further include the fourth EHF communication unit 310disposed in the second housing 614 (or 304) relative to the secondconnector face 604. The third EHF communication unit 214 may beconfigured to communicate with the fourth EHF communication unit 310when the first connector face 616 is positioned in the at least one ofthe first position and the second position relative to the secondconnector face 604. FIGS. 9A-9D illustrate exemplary configurations ofmagnetic components of the connector system 600 including the firstconnector 102 and the second connector 104 of FIGS. 1-3. As shown, theconnector surface 604 (or the second connector face 304) may include oneor more magnets 502C and 502D. Including the magnets 502C and 502D at ornear the connector surface 604 of the external device 602 allowsadditional functionality and additional haptic feedback to a user.Further, the magnets 502A-502B (or first connector magnets) may beconfigured to provide a ground connection in the electrical circuit andmay be configured to form in combination an electromagnetic shieldaround the first EHF communication unit 206 and the third EHFcommunication unit 214.

Each of the first connector magnets 502A-502B may have a first pole of afirst polarity and a second pole of a second polarity opposite of thefirst polarity, and the respective first poles of the first connectormagnets 502A-502B may be oriented in the same direction. Similarly, eachsecond connector magnets 502C-502D may have a first pole of a firstpolarity and a second pole of a second polarity opposite of the firstpolarity, and the respective first poles of the second connector magnets502C-502D may be oriented in the same direction.

In different examples, various alignments of the poles of magnets 502A,502B, 502C, and 502D may be possible. These alignments and combinationsof alignments may allow tactile feedback regarding proper alignment andpositioning of the first connector 102 at the connector surface based onthe attraction or repulsion of the aligned magnet pairs.

As shown in FIG. 9A, a connector system may be configured such that thefirst connector 102 may connect in either of two orientations. In thisembodiment, poles of one set of magnets are aligned and presented toopposing poles of another aligned set of magnets. In other words,magnets 502A and 502B may always present their south poles to themagnets 502C and 502D. The magnets 502C and 502D may always presenttheir north poles. In this configuration, the magnets may always attracteach other in both positions of connector 102 relative to connector 104as long as the opposite magnet pairs are placed in approximate physicalalignment.

As shown in FIG. 9B, a connector system may instead be configured withthe same poles of each set of magnets facing each other, such that thefirst connector 102 may always be repelled. In other words, the magnets502A and 502B may present their south poles to the magnets 502C and502D. The magnets 502C and 502D may also present their south poles, thusrepelling the magnets 502A and 502B and thereby associated firstconnector 102. This may be desirable, for example, if there are twopossible connector surfaces 604 on the external device 602. Theconnectors may be configured so that each is only attracted to acorresponding mate, and repelled by the other candidate.

FIGS. 9C and 9D show yet another possible configuration where magneticpoles within each set of magnets on a connector are aligned in oppositedirections. As shown, one of magnets 502A and 502B may be present anorth pole while the other magnet presents a south pole. The magnets502C and 502D may similarly present the opposing poles such that themagnets attract when the second connector 104 is in the properorientation and repel when the second connector 104 is not in the properorientation relative to first connector 102. In this embodiment, thefirst connector 102 may therefore only connect in one orientation orposition of the two orientations or positions in which the opposingmagnet pairs are aligned. All of these configurations provide tactilefeedback to the user attempting to connect the connectors together.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram of an illustrative connector 800 having oneor more electromagnetic components. Additional feedback andfunctionality may be possible by using one or more electromagnets forthe various magnets (502A-D) already described. In the example depictedin FIG. 10, the external device, such as device 602, may includeelectromagnets 802A and 802B controlled by an electromagnet controller804. In an embodiment, the first magnet i.e. magnet 502A, is anelectromagnet configured to be selectively activated by theelectromagnet controller 804. The electromagnet controller 804 may beconfigured to alternatingly activate and either deactivate or reverseactivate the electromagnets 802A-802B or 502A, thereby producingvibration of the first connector 102.

Using electromagnets (802A-802B) may allow the an external device 602 toselectively enable or disable the magnetic attraction of its connectorsurface or surfaces 604, as well as possibly reversing polarity of anygiven electromagnet. In some examples, the electromagnet controller 804may be configured to eject the first connector 102 by reversing polarityor by turning the electromagnets off. In other embodiments, theconnector surfaces 604 (or 616) may be selectively enabled, disabled,and/or configured with a certain polarity combination. The electromagnetcontroller 804 may also cause electromagnets 802A and/or 802B to vibrateor buzz based on certain predetermined conditions. In other embodiments,the electromagnets 802A, 802B, and/or electromagnet controller 804 maybe disposed in the first connector 102, or in both connectors. In someembodiments, one or more magnetic components on a connector may beelectromagnets. Further, in an embodiment, the magnets 502A-502B of thefirst connector may act as electromagnets and may be controlled by theelectromagnet controller 804.

FIG. 11 shows an illustrative first connector 102 and an illustrativemechanical connector 900. FIG. 11 shows that the first connector 102 inthe form shown similar to connector 500 and having an alignment element218 in the form of an elongate ridge with spaced-apart magnets 208 and212, such as magnets 502A and 502B, requires significantly less physicalinsertion to connect with a complementary connector 104 or 600 thanmechanical connector 900, which would require insertion into acomplementary receptacle having aligned conductors to establish aconductive signal and/or power path.

The following paragraphs may provide further information regardingillustrative versions of the above-described systems and methods relatedto EHF communications devices.

In one example, a first connector comprises a housing defining a firstconnector face configured to be positioned in at least one of a firstposition and a second position proximate to a second connector face of asecond connector; a first extremely high frequency (EHF) communicationunit disposed in the housing relative to the first connector face forcommunicating with a second EHF communication unit of the secondconnector when the first connector face is positioned in at least one ofthe first position and the second position relative to the secondconnector face; and a first magnet disposed in the housing relative tothe first connector face, the first magnet configured to align with andrepel a second magnet disposed relative to the second connector facewhen the first connector face is positioned in the second positionrelative to the second connector face, and the first magnet isconfigured not to align with and not to repel the second magnet when thefirst connector face is positioned in the first position relative to thesecond connector face.

The first connector may further comprise a first magnetic elementdisposed in the housing relative to the first connector face and spacedfrom the first magnet, wherein the first magnetic element is configuredto align with and attract the second magnet when the first connectorface is positioned in the first position relative to the secondconnector face. The first magnetic element may be at least one of apermanent magnet, an electromagnet, and a ferromagnetic element. Thefirst magnetic element may be a third magnet, and the first magnet andthe third magnet may have opposite magnetic polarities at the firstconnector face.

The first connector may further comprise a third EHF communication unitconfigured to communicate with a fourth EHF communication unit of thesecond connector when the first connector face is positioned in the atleast one of the first position and the second position relative to thesecond connector face.

The first connector may further comprise a connector printed circuitboard (PCB) supported in the housing; a first connector alignmentelement configured to mate with a complementary second connectoralignment element of the second connector, wherein the first connectoralignment element matingly receives the second connector alignmentelement when the first connector face is positioned in the firstposition and in the second position relative to the second connectorface for providing physical alignment feedback to a user; a signalindication circuit having one or more light emitting diode (LED)indicators responsive to an electrical signal transmitted between thefirst and second EHF communications units; and a connector body disposedin the housing and configured to encapsulate the connector PCB and thefirst EHF communication unit.

The first EHF communication unit may be electrically and physicallyconnected to a cable configured to receive at least one of power and oneor more informational signals from an external source. The first magnetmay have a magnet face that is aligned with the first connector face.

The first connector may further comprise an electromagnet controller,wherein the first magnet is an electromagnet configured to beselectively activated by the electromagnet controller, the electromagnetcontroller is configured to alternatingly activate and either deactivateor reverse activate the electromagnet thereby producing vibration of thefirst connector.

A connector system may comprise a first connector including a firsthousing defining a first connector face; a first extremely highfrequency (EHF) communication unit disposed in the first housingrelative to the first connector face; and a first magnet disposed in thefirst housing relative to the first connector face; and a secondconnector including a second housing defining a second connector faceconfigured to be positioned in at least one of a first position and asecond position proximate to the first connector face; a second EHFcommunication unit configured to communicate with the first EHFcommunication unit over a first channel when the first connector face ispositioned in at least one of the first position and the second positionrelative to the second connector face; and a second magnet disposed inthe second housing relative to the second connector face, the secondmagnet being configured not to align with and not to repel the secondmagnet when the first connector face is positioned in the first positionrelative to the second connector face, and the second magnet isconfigured to align with and repel the first magnet when the firstconnector face is positioned in the second position relative to thesecond connector face.

The second connector may comprise a fourth magnet disposed in the secondhousing relative to the second connector face. The fourth magnet may beconfigured to align with and to attract the first magnet when the firstconnector face is positioned in the first position relative to thesecond connector face; and align with and repel the third magnet whenthe first connector face is positioned in the second position relativeto the second connector face.

The second connector comprises a second magnetic element disposed in thesecond housing relative to the second connector face, wherein the secondmagnetic element is configured to align with and be attracted to thefirst magnet when the first connector face is positioned in the firstposition relative to the second connector face. The first magneticelement and the second magnetic element comprise respectiveferromagnetic elements.

The first connector may further comprise a third EHF communication unitdisposed in the first housing relative to the first connector face, andthe second connector may further comprise a fourth EHF communicationunit disposed in the second housing relative to the second connectorface. The third EHF communication unit may be configured to communicatewith the fourth EHF communication unit when the first connector face ispositioned in the at least one of the first position and the secondposition relative to the second connector face. In some examples, thefirst connector may further comprise a connector printed circuit board(PCB) supported in the first housing; a first connector alignmentelement configured to mate with a complementary second connectoralignment element of the second connector, wherein the first connectoralignment element matingly receives the second connector alignmentelement when the first connector face is positioned in at least one ofthe first position and the second position relative to the secondconnector face for providing physical alignment feedback to a user; asignal indication circuit having one or more light emitting diode (LED)indicators responsive to an electrical signal transmitted between thefirst and second EHF communications units; and a connector body disposedin the first housing and configured to encapsulate the connector PCB andthe first EHF communication unit.

In some examples, a connector system may comprise a first connectorincluding a first housing; a first EHF communication unit supported inthe first housing; a third EHF communication unit supported in thesecond housing; and at least two first connector magnets supported inthe first housing; and a second connector configured to couple with thefirst connector. The second connector may comprise a second housingdefining a second connector face configured to be positioned in at leastone of a first position and a second position proximate to the firstconnector face; a second EHF communication unit supported in the secondhousing and configured to communicate with the first EHF communicationunit over a first channel; a fourth EHF communication unit supported inthe second housing and configured to communicate with the third EHFcommunication unit on a second channel; and at least two secondconnector magnets supported in the second housing. Polarities of the atleast two first connector magnets, and the at least two second connectormagnets may be oriented such that the first connector couples with thesecond connector in a desired connector orientation and is held in acoupled state by attraction of the first magnet of the at least twofirst connector magnets to the first magnet of the at least two secondconnect magnets and attraction of the second magnet of the firstconnector magnets to the second magnet of the second connector magnets.

The first EHF communication unit may comprise at least one of aninsulating material, a chip having an integrated circuit (IC), and anantenna capable of communicating with the IC, further wherein theantenna is fixed at a location by the insulating material.

In some examples, the first magnet of the at least two first connectormagnets and the at least two second connector magnets may beelectrically conductive, and in electrical contact when the firstconnector couples with the second connector in the desired connectororientation. The first magnet of the at least two first connectormagnets and the at least two second connector magnets form a first pathof electrical current in an electrical circuit in the first and secondconnectors. The second magnet of the at least two first connectormagnets and second magnet of the at least two second connector magnetsmay be electrically conductive and in electrical contact when the firstconnector couples with the second connector in the desired connectororientation. The second magnet of the at least two first connectormagnets and the second magnet of the at least two second connectormagnets may form a second path of electrical current in the electricalcircuit in the first connector and the second connector.

The at least two first connector magnets may be configured to provide aground connection in the electrical circuit and may be configured toform in combination an electromagnetic shield around the first EHFcommunication unit and the third EHF communication unit. The firstconnector may be electrically and physically connected to a cable toobtain at least one of power and one or more informational signals froman external source. Each of the at least two first connector magnets mayhave a first pole of a first polarity and a second pole of a secondpolarity opposite of the first polarity, and the respective first polesof the at least two first connector magnets may be oriented in the samedirection.

Each of the at least two second connector magnets has a first pole of afirst polarity and a second pole of a second polarity opposite of thefirst polarity, and the respective first poles of the at least twosecond connector magnets are oriented in the same direction. Theconnector system may further comprise an electromagnet controller,wherein the first magnet is an electromagnet configured to beselectively activated by the electromagnet controller, the electromagnetcontroller is configured to alternatingly activate and either deactivateor reverse activate the electromagnet, thereby producing vibration ofthe first connector. In some examples, the first housing may have afirst connector face that faces the second connector when the firstconnector couples with the second connector in the desired connectororientation, and each of the first magnet and second magnet may comprisea magnet face that is aligned with the first connector face.

It is believed that the disclosure set forth herein encompasses multipledistinct inventions with independent utility. While each of theseinventions has been disclosed in its preferred form, the specificembodiments thereof as disclosed and illustrated herein are not to beconsidered in a limiting sense as numerous variations are possible. Eachexample defines an embodiment disclosed in the foregoing disclosure, butany one example does not necessarily encompass all features orcombinations that may be eventually claimed. Where the descriptionrecites “a” or “a first” element or the equivalent thereof, suchdescription includes one or more such elements, neither requiring norexcluding two or more such elements. Further, ordinal indicators, suchas first, second or third, for identified elements are used todistinguish between the elements, and do not indicate a required orlimited number of such elements, and do not indicate a particularposition or order of such elements unless otherwise specifically stated.

What is claimed is:
 1. A connector comprising: a housing defining afirst connector face configured to be positioned in at least one of afirst position and a second position proximate to a second connectorface of an additional connector; a first communication interface unitdisposed within the housing relative to the first connector face of theconnector to communicate with a second communication interface unitlocated in the additional connector using extremely high frequency (EHF)electromagnetic energy when the first connector face is positioned in atleast one of the first position and the second position relative to thesecond connector face; a first alignment element disposed in the housingrelative to the first connector face, the first alignment elementconfigured to align with a second alignment element located in theadditional connector; and an interface control circuit coupled to thefirst communication interface unit and configured to: detect whether theconnector is aligned with the additional connector; and establishcommunication between the first and second communication interface unitswhen the first connector face is positioned in the at least one of thefirst position and the second position relative to the second connectorface.
 2. The connector of claim 1, further comprising a first magneticelement configured generate a magnetic field to attract a secondmagnetic element included in the additional connector when the firstconnector face is positioned in at least one of the first position andthe second position relative to the second connector face of theadditional connector.
 3. The connector of claim 1, further comprising afirst magnetic element configured to generate a magnetic field to repela second magnetic element when the first connector face is positioned inat least one of the first position and the second position relative tothe second connector face of the additional connector.
 4. The connectorof claim 1, further comprising a first magnetic element configured togenerate a magnetic field to attract a second magnetic element when thefirst connector face is positioned in the first position relative to thesecond connector face of the additional connector and repel the secondmagnetic element when the first connector face is positioned in thesecond position relative to the second connector face of the additionalconnector.
 5. The connector of claim 1, further comprising a firstmagnetic element configured to generate a magnetic field to repel thesecond magnetic element when the first connector face is positioned inthe first position relative to the second connector face of theadditional connector and attract the second magnetic element when thefirst connector face is positioned in the second position relative tothe second connector face of the additional connector.
 6. The connectorof claim 1, wherein the interface control unit is configured detectwhether the connector is aligned with the additional connector based onan indication of a distance between the first and second interfacecontrol units.
 7. The connector of claim 1, wherein the firstcommunication interface unit is configured to generate an EHFtransmission oriented orthogonally relative to an EHF transmissiongenerated by the second communication interface unit.
 9. The connectorof claim 1, wherein the first magnetic element is at least one of apermanent magnet, a ferromagnetic element, and an electromagnet.
 10. Theconnector of claim 1, wherein the second magnetic element is at leastone of a permanent magnet, a ferromagnetic element, and anelectromagnet.
 11. The connector of claim 1, wherein the first magneticelement is comprised of at least two magnetic elements.
 12. Theconnector of claim 1, wherein the second magnetic element is comprisedof at least two magnetic elements.